Please tell me what you all think about this, everyone thinks I am crazy because I sometimes wake my baby to eat. They say that you should never wake a sleeping baby and he will let me know when he's hungry. Let me explain why I do this sometimes. The doctor says a baby on solids should still get at least 20 oz. of formula a day but no more than 32 oz. (everyone thinks that solids are suppose to take the place of formula but that is not so, formula is the most importand thing for the 1st year and solids are just suppose to be extra nutrients.) Anyway my baby who is almost 6 months old has his 1st feeding at 8am and his last feeding at 8pm, then bed at 9pm(he has reflux so I like for him to sit for a while before lying him down) This leaves me with 12 hrs. to fit in 20 oz. of formula. and my baby will STILL ONLY TAKE IN 4OZ. AT A TIME usually every 3 hrs. If he is napping and it is about time for him to eat I will sometimes wake him if he has slept for a little while only. If he was fighting sleep before I will not wake him and I will not wake him if he hadn't had a nap at all. So its not all the time I wake him. When I do he wakes up smiling and happy so its not like he's all cranky because I woke him. If I don't do this he will not get the 20 oz. of formula a day he needs because of the small amounts he takes in at a time. People just don't seem to get it and think I am just crazy. I always here that line that a baby will let you know when he is hungry but the thing is why let a baby scream for a bottle anyway. My baby is content with the way things are and never cries for a bottle. We somehow got accustomed to this schedule and it works for us, no problems. I always know when he eats so I can plan other things and also scheduling his pictures around his feeding times works out great. He gets the amount he needs and I never have to worry about him screaming for a bottle while we are out and about, I always know how many oz. to prepare and how many bottles to bring with me, no guessing. Every now and then when he hits a growth spurt he will want more and I will fix. bigger bottles but then after a week or two he will get to where he only wants 4oz. again.

Just wanted to tell you... my best friend did the same thing with her little guy. He NEVER cried for a bottle and so... she had to do the same thing, so he would get the right amount of ounces in a day. I never had to do that with either of my kids... but I know that my best friend did... and she also got people saying you shouldnt do that. Do what is best for you and your baby. Honestly... when you look back in a year or two, it wont even matter if you woke your baby up or not. It wont effect him in a bad way at all. Just keep doing what your doing.

I did it for 2 years every 2 1/2 hours. It is better that your baby not get stressed out from screaming/crying cortisol goes up and stresses the adrenal glands and everyone else like you and your husband. It is easier to be proactive it is a win win win situation for all in the house. Get some rest though it will get you exhausted the build up of not sleeping for at least 4 to six hours straight. Nap when he naps if that helps you get by. It is easier to bond with a happy baby than a screaming one. It is like this - you don't let your car run out of gas completely before you fill it up again.

Ditto on the sleep feeding here. Our spent the first 6 weeks of life in the hospital and weighed less when released, than he did when was born. We were told to feed him every 3 hours. Then he went through a bottle aversion for MONTHS. Would drink a couple ounces and then scream bloody murder. Best time to feed him was when he was sleepy, sleeping. Otherwise he'd cry, I'd cry. It was horrible, so I LOVED to feed him later at night when he was a sleep 'cuz he'd be so cuddly and calm. He was a perfectly happy unless we shoved a bottle in his face.

The doctors weren't much help all they'd say is that he SHOULD be eating. He SHOULDN'T be acting this way. We finally got desparate and gave him nesquik in his morning bottle. Plus he LOVES yogurt, so I'd thin it with some formula.

It is also better never to mess with a schedule that your baby is content with I dealt with ths attitude with my FTT baby. He had very low energy levels due to is failure to eat. Because of this, he would not cry to be fed. He slept a lot and would have wasted away had I waited for him to tell me he was hungry. So, I woke him up to eat.

If your baby is content with this schedule, I would stick with it. Heaven knows, there will be plenty of times in his childhood where someone has advice. You have to go with your gut and do what works for your family

A lot of times my son won't even wake up for that late night feeding -- thus the "sleep feeding" comment. Sometimes DH would set the alarm and get up in the middle of the night (2 or 3) and feed him a bottle, but then he wouldn't eat well at the 7 a.m. feeding. The "worst" part is if he had a huge burp -- he was a terrible burper during that time (wouldn't) and then he'd be happy and want to play. yawwwwwn!

i could never wake my child when they are sleeping for feedings. the only time i get "mommy time" is durring nap time and bed time. remember to take time out for you. if you keep giving everything you have to your baby what will you give him when you have nothing left to give. (i have fealt that way alot having a 17 month old and a 6 months old) it was hard becase i fealt so drained. now i give myself time to myself and its alot better.
if you are getting time to yourself then waking the child for feeding is no problem but make sure you get that mommy time